Effect of selected and non-selected urban waste compost on the initial growth of corn

Brazil produces approximately 242,000 t of waste per day, 76% of it being dumped outdoors and only 0.9% recycled, including composting, which is an alternative still little known in Brazil. In search of a better destination for residues produced by domestic activities, composting stands as a feasible alternative. Organic compost from waste may be used for various purposes, among which are soil recovery, commercial production, pastures, lawns and reforestry and agriculture. However, the quality of the compost determines the growth and the development of plants. The effect of compost made from urban waste on corn plant (Zea mays L.) growth was investigated. Two types of compost were used: the selected compost (SC), produced from organic waste selectively collected; and the non-selected compost (NSC), taken from a 15-year-old cell from the Canabrava land-fill, located in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil (altitude 51 m, 12°22′–13°08′S, 38°08′–38°47′W). Corn was seeded in polyethylene pots, with soil-compost mixing substrate in the proportion of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 t ha⁻¹ equivalent doses. Chemical analyses of the compost and growth properties of the plant like chlorophyll content; height and stem diameter; aerial and radicular dry biomasses, were used to evaluate compost quality. Plants cultivated with SC presented a superior gain, being of 52.5% in stem diameter, 71.1 and 81.2% in root and stem biomasses, respectively. Chlorophyl content alterations were observed in plants from treatments using 30 t compost ha⁻¹ dose onwards. Conventional and multivariate statistical methods were used to evaluate these results. The beneficial action of organic compost in plant growth was confirmed with this research.     

山林地表慢渗系统处理农村生活污水厂尾水研究

利用山区污水处理厂周边森林植被构建慢速渗滤污水处理系统,用来处理山区农村生活污水厂尾水。结果表明,慢渗系统能够深度净化污水尾水,对COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、NO_3-N、TN、TP的平均去除率分别为23.8%、40.2%、14.3%、11.3%和23.6%。并且土层越深,COD_(Cr)、TN、TP浓度越低,相应的去除率越高,而NO_3-N、TN去除率则呈降低趋势;山体坡度越大,COD_(Cr)、氨氮浓度有升高趋势,硝态氮、TN、TP有降低趋势;而坡长越大,COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、NO_3-N、TN浓度有降低趋势,TP有升高趋势。此外,植被类型对水样化学性质有一定影响,竹林更利于COD_(Cr)、NH_3-N、TP浓度的降低,针阔混交林更利于NO_3-N、TN浓度的降低。     

渗透胁迫下两种生物质能源植物的抗渗透胁迫能力及稳定碳同位素组成

本研究以麻疯树(Jatropha curcas L.)和油桐(Vernicia fordii H.)幼苗为材料,考察了麻疯树和油桐幼苗的生理指标和稳定碳同位素组成对渗透胁迫的响应情况。结果表明,麻疯树比油桐更具有抗渗透胁迫能力,主要体现在:随着渗透胁迫程度的加剧,麻疯树叶片相对含水量与叶绿素含量的下降幅度均小于油桐,脯氨酸含量和可溶性糖含量的增加幅度高于油桐,相对电导率的上升幅度小于油桐;随着渗透胁迫程度的加剧,两种植物幼苗叶片的δ13 C值也都显著升高,但是在同一渗透胁迫水平下,麻疯树幼苗叶片的δ13 C值较油桐高,表明其拥有较高的水分利用效率,能够在干旱胁迫下更好地生长,暗示着植物叶片的δ13 C值在一定情况下可以表征植物的抗旱性。     

火电厂煤尘污染防治主要措施研究

文章通过对火电项目煤尘产生源的分析,根据北方地区社会、经济、环境现状,提出电厂储煤场及输煤系统煤尘的主要防治措施,从而为北方经济欠发达地区火电厂的煤尘污染防治提供一些参考依据,促进环境质量的改善。     

Accumulation, distribution and cellular partitioning of mercury in several halophytes of a contaminated salt marsh

This work evaluates the role of a plant community in mercury (Hg) stabilization and mobility in a contaminated Portuguese salt marsh. With this aim, the distribution of Hg in below and aboveground tissues, as well as the metal partitioning between cellular fractions (soluble and insoluble) in four different species (Triglochin maritima L., Juncus maritimus Lam, Sarcocornia perennis (Miller) A.J. Scott, and Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen) was assessed. Mercury accumulation, translocation and compartmentation between organs and cellular fractions were related to the plant species.Results showed that the degree of Hg absorption and retention was influenced both by environmental parameters and metal translocation/partitioning strategies. Different plant species presented different allocation patterns, with marked differences between monocots (T. maritima and J. maritimus) and dicots (S. perennis, H. portulacoides). Overall, the two monocots, in particular T. maritima showed higher Hg retention in the belowground organs whereas the dicots, particularly S. perennis presented a more pronounced translocation to the aboveground tissues. Considering cellular Hg partitioning, all species showed a higher Hg binding to cell walls and membranes rather than in the soluble fractions. This strategy can be related to the high degree of tolerance observed in the studied species. These results indicate that the composition of salt marsh plant communities can be very important in dictating the Hg mobility within the marsh ecosystem and in the rest of the aquatic system as well as providing important insights to future phytoremediation approaches in Hg contaminated salt marshes.     

Metabolism of the Nonylphenol Isomer [Ring-U-14c]-4-(3′,5′-Dimethyl-3′-Heptyl)-Phenol by Cell Suspension Cultures of Agrostemma githago and Soybean

Abstract

The biotransformation of the nonylphenol isomer [ring-U-¹⁴C]-4-(3′,5′-dimethyl-3′-heptyl)-phenol (4-353-NP, consisting of two diastereomers) was studied in soybean and Agrostemma githago cell suspension cultures. With the A. githago cells, a batch two-liquid-phase system (medium/n-hexadecane 200:1, v/v) was used, in order to produce higher concentrations and amounts of 4-353-NP metabolites for their identification; 4-353-NP was applied via the n-hexadecane phase. Initial concentrations of [¹⁴C]-4-353-NP were 1 mg L^?1 (soybean), and 5 and 10 mg L^?1 (A. githago). After 2 (soybean) and 7 days (A. githago) of incubation, the applied 4-353-NP was transformed almost completely by both plant species to four types of products: glycosides of parent 4-353-NP, glycosides of primary 4-353-NP metabolites, nonextractable residues and unknown, possibly polymeric materials detected in the media. The latter two products emerged especially in soybean cultures. Portions of primary metabolites amounted to 19–22% (soybean) and 21–42% of applied ¹⁴C (A. githago). After liberation from their glycosides, the primary 4-353-NP metabolites formed by A. githago were isolated by HPLC and examined by GC-EIMS as trimethylsilyl derivatives. In the chromatograms, eight peaks were detected which due to their mass spectra, could be traced back to 4-353-NP. Seven of the compounds were side-chain monohydroxylated 4-353-NP metabolites, while the remaining was a (side-chain) carboxylic acid derivative. Unequivocal identification of the sites of hydroxylation/oxidation of all transformation products was not possible. The main primary metabolites produced by A. githago were supposed to be four diastereomers of 6′-hydroxy-4-353-NP (about 80% of all products identified). It was concluded that plants contribute to the environmental degradation of the xenoestrogen nonylphenol; the toxicological properties of side-chain hydroxylated nonylphenols remain to be examined.     

Evaluating and reducing a model of radiocaesium soil-plant uptake

An existing model of radiocaesium transfer to grasses was extended to include wheat and barley and parameterised using data from a wide range of soils and contact times. The model structure was revised and evaluated using a subset of the available data which was not used for model parameterisation. The resulting model was then used as a basis for systematic model reduction to test the utility of the model components. This analysis suggested that the use of 4 model variables (relating to radiocaesium adsorption on organic matter and the pH sensitivity of soil solution potassium concentration) and 1 model input (pH) are not required. The results of this analysis were used to develop a reduced model which was further evaluated in terms of comparisons to observations. The reduced model had an improved empirical performance and fewer adjustable parameters and soil characteristic inputs.     

Effect of ambient-level gas-phase peroxides on foliar injury, growth, and net photosynthesis in Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus)

To investigate the effects of ambient-level gas-phase peroxides concurrent with O₃ on foliar injury, photosynthesis, and biomass in herbaceous plants, we exposed Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus) to clean air, 50 ppb O₃, 100 ppb O₃, and 2-3 ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ in outdoor chambers. Compared with exposure to 100 ppb O₃, exposure to 2-3 ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ induced greater damage in foliar injury, net photosynthetic rates and biomass; the pattern of foliar injury and the cause of net photosynthetic rate reduction also differed from those occurring with O₃ exposure alone. These results indicate for the first time that sub-ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ can cause more severe damage to plants than 100 ppb O₃, and that not only O₃, but also peroxides, could be contributing to the herbaceous plant damage and forest decline observed in Japan's air-polluted urban and remote mountains areas.     

Predicting molybdenum toxicity to higher plants: Estimation of toxicity threshold values

Four plant species (oilseed rape, Brassica napus L.; red clover, Trifolium pratense L.; ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.; and tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L.) were tested on ten soils varying widely in soil properties to assess molybdenum (Mo) toxicity. A larger range (66-fold-609-fold) of added Mo concentrations resulting in 50% inhibition of yield (ED₅₀) was found among soils than among plant species (2-fold-38-fold), which illustrated that the soils differed widely in the expression of Mo toxicity. Toxicity thresholds based on soil solution Mo narrowed the variation among soils compared to thresholds based on added Mo concentrations. We conclude that plant bioavailability of Mo in soil depends on Mo solubility, but this alone did not decrease the variability in observed toxicity enough to be used in risk assessment and that other soil properties influencing Mo toxicity to plants need to be considered.     

黄岛电厂温排水对大型底栖生物群落的影响

以黄岛电厂温排水邻近海域为研究对象，2010年9月调查了电厂温排水对该海域大型底栖生物群落结构的影响。在9个站点共采集到大型底栖生物76种，平均生物量5．79 g/m2，平均密度830 m-2。利用Bray-Curtis相似性聚类对各样本大型底栖生物分析得出，调查区域可划分为4个群落。各样点Shannon-Wiener多样性指数在2．42～4．25之间，平均指数为3．67，其中靠近温排水区域站位的生物多样性呈现下降的趋势。丰度生物量比较（Abundance/biomass comparison， ABC）曲线分析结果显示，靠近排水口处的大型底栖生物群落受到一定程度的干扰。冗余分析（ RDA）结果表明，水温是影响底栖生物群落变化的最主要因子，对调查区域大型底栖生物群落变化的解释量达到60．5％，影响范围为排水口附近温升在3℃以上的区域。